OM&M Program at Industrial Sites

Client Challenge

A global technology leader manages a multi-million-dollar remediation program across the US. These sites reflect diverse historic and current business operations with a wide range of regulatory governance, contaminant risks, and life-cycle maturity. The company has a formal program to ensure that operation, maintenance, and monitoring (OM&M) activities across this portfolio are carried out with adherence to a consistent strategy that combines continuous improvement and a focus on key performance indicators to evaluate ongoing program and project success.

GES Solution

GES manages a portfolio of 10 OM&M projects with a disciplined programmatic approach and a program management plan that details expectations, contract administration, and project execution. The program is led by a principal engineer with an integrated team of engineers, scientists, technicians, operators, and administrators who efficiently execute the program with a collective focus on the client’s overall environmental strategy and site-specific objectives.

A balanced scorecard tool is used to track progress against key performance metrics related to health and safety, regulatory compliance, financial administration, deliverables, client advocacy, client strategic initiatives such as cost reductions, and value added. GES has implemented a strong self-auditing program to monitor and enhance performance while continually developing working relationships between site personnel, client representatives, and other project stakeholders.

Successfully operating treatment systems presents a diverse range of challenges, ranging from troubleshooting systems to solving complex issues with aging equipment and controls. GES relies on its experienced local operators reinforced by a network of senior operators and engineers to develop and implement preventative maintenance protocols, foresee system issues when possible, and quickly troubleshoot system issues to maintain high system uptime and consistent system compliance.

As an example, one site located in North Carolina is a 27-acre former chemical manufacturing facility managed under the US EPA CERCLA regulatory program. GES operates the wastewater treatment plant, which contains several holding ponds for temporary water storage prior to treatment. Water levels are carefully controlled to prevent any discharge to sensitive receptors. The team follows regular emergency preparedness activities as a routine component of OM&M tasks. This became critical when a hurricane approached the region as a “thousand year” storm, bringing historic rainfall to the region. The GES team mobilized into around-the-clock operations prior to and through the storm to ensure that the system did not fail. Fourteen inches of rain fell at the facility within a five-day period. During this time, the wastewater treatment plant operated continuously, stormwater holding ponds remained safely below spill levels, and emergency bypass pumping of the treatment system was avoided.

Client Value

Under this multi-site program, GES has achieved a scorecard ranking of over 90% in all key performance indicators. Significant cost savings have been achieved; in the most recent contract year, greater than 12% over actual spend baseline and 30% over the approved budget. GES provides more than 8,000 hours of OM&M services annually with no injuries or compliance issues. GES technicians self-perform the field work while our in-house engineering staff design and implement process improvements, negotiate reduced sampling requirements, and eliminate preexisting costly and ineffective treatment units.